US Layoffs — February 2004
The US labor market showed continued flux as employers reported 90 WARN Act notices in February 2004, displacing an estimated 11,811 workers — signaling a deceleration from January and down 8% versus February 2003. Filings came from 13 states and territories, with an average of 131 workers per notice.
Top States by Workers Affected
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | 12 | 1,506 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 | 1,405 |
| Ohio | 11 | 1,343 |
| New Jersey | 7 | 1,325 |
| Georgia | 9 | 1,306 |
| Texas | 20 | 1,208 |
| Kentucky | 7 | 1,149 |
| Alabama | 4 | 1,060 |
| Michigan | 5 | 544 |
| Maryland | 3 | 311 |
| Washington | 2 | 261 |
| Oklahoma | 1 | 200 |
| Kansas | 2 | 193 |
Florida led the nation with 1,506 workers affected across 12 notices , followed by Pennsylvania (1,405 workers) and Ohio (1,343 workers) .
Industry Breakdown
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 35 | 4,359 |
| Information & Technology | 20 | 1,190 |
| Retail | 3 | 1,155 |
| Professional Services | 4 | 815 |
| Finance & Insurance | 6 | 781 |
| Transportation | 4 | 529 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2 | 415 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 302 |
| Arts & Entertainment | 1 | 242 |
| Real Estate | 2 | 123 |
The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 4,359 workers across 35 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 1,190 workers.
Layoff Type Analysis
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 14 | 2,988 |
| Layoff | 7 | 593 |
Closures accounted for 25% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
Largest Layoffs
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sears, Roebuck & | Trevose, Pennsylvania | 970 | Closure |
| Werner | Anniston, Alabama | 530 | Closure |
| Johnson & Johnson | No. Brunswick, New Jersey | 488 | |
| Norvergence | Newark, New Jersey | 358 | |
| Sykes Enterprises | Louisville, Kentucky | 341 | |
| Perdue Farms | DeFuniak Springs, Florida | 325 | |
| Jim Walter Resources | Brookwood, Alabama | 320 | Closure |
| SRI Sports | Leander, Texas | 279 | |
| Georgia-Pacific | Sandusky, Ohio | 270 | |
| Bank of America | Kentucky | 250 |
The most significant filing came from Sears, Roebuck & in Trevose, Pennsylvania, reporting 970 affected workers. Werner followed with 530 workers.
Trend & Outlook
The numbers illustrate a easing in workforce disruptions across the nation, with filings falling below both recent and year-ago levels. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in February 2004. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.